Steering wheel



J. B. LA PIERRE STEERING WHEEL Oct. 25, 1927. 1,646,411

Filed Oct. '22, 1926 [fix/672W?" "Julz'an B La B67719:

PATENT "OFFICE.

JULIAN 3. A PIERRE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEERING WHEEL.

- Application filed October 22, 1926. Serial No. 143,399.

This invention relates to the construction of wooden steering wheels wherein it 1s vdesired that the wheel be of far greater strength than has heretofore been obtained in this type of steering wheel.

Greater strength in steering wheel construction is now necessitated due to the strength tests which are being placed on the wheels by some of the large automobile manufacturers. For example, one test now prescribed'by the engineers of a prominent manufacturing company is that a weight of 600 pounds be placed on the hub of the wheel and then a 20 pound weight is dropped 18 inches striking on the rim of thewheel. In wheels subjected to this test, the tendency is for the spider arms to vloosen and draw out 'oftheir mortises in the rim. 700d arm wheels, as a rule, are generally sufficiently strong around the center .hub portions because they are ordinarily reinforced by. the

gripping action of two metal pieces placed one on each side of the arms and tightened together by bolts. The weakest place in the ordinary existing constructions is at the point-of insertionof the arms in the rim.

In thewood working art, unlike the metal working art, it impossible to work with the fine precisionthat would result in closely fitted joints and square abuttingshoulders, due to the fact that wood. varies in its com position, some portions of the same piece being softer than others. Parts located in and near to knots are, for example, much harder than parts distantly located from the knot. Also cutters used in, working wood become dull and when resharpened,- the original perfect dimension of the cutter is lost, and therefore the resulting work is subject to considerable variation. i

The style of steering wheel rim that is fast becoming popular :isnarrower across. its face and thicker in depth so as to afford'a better natural grip for the hands. This narrowing across the face of the rim makes it impossible to have as deep a mortise as heretofore hadand therefore weakens the constructionat thepoint where the rim is attached to the splder arms. Not having as deep a mortise as heretofore also cuts down the area of the surface towhich glue is applied and therefore further tends toweaken the construction at thispoint.

This point of the construction is subjected to great strains as, for instance, when the front wheel of the car is too close to the curb short away from the curb. This unusual stram tends to loosen the end of the arm in its mortise, particularly where the wood happens to be soggy or soft. I

When a. caris driven over rough roads, striking ruts and stones there is a continued vibration upward, downward, sidewise. Th1s continual vibration will soon loosen up the different points where the steering wheel parts are oined together, unless somemeans are employed for locking theparts together. It: is unsatisfactory, to havemetal plates and.

studs and similar projecting parts on the surface ofthe mm as such parts have a tendency to irritate the hands of the driver.

and it is attempted to turn the wheel out The; main object of. this invention is to it provide an improved steering wheel constructed entirely of wood; to provide improved means for locking the outer endsof the spider arms inth'eir respective mortises. 1 1n the rim; toprovide a construction-of this nature which will give a much larg'gersur-v face area to which glue can be applied, than has heretofore been the case; and to provide improved locking means which will stay 7 tight and secure for a long periodofI time and which w1l1 not be affected by the shrinkage or expanslon; of the-different, wooden parts but which utilizes such shrinkageor expansion for more positively, locking the construction together.

'An illustrative embodiment of this in vention is shown in the accompanying drawmgs in which:

, Figure l is'a plan View of the improved 7 I type of steering wheel. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the outer end of acspiderarm and a portion of the adacent rim 1n which it is mortised.

- Fig. 3 is a sectiontakenon the line 3+3 of Fig. 2- q 7 Fig. 4 is an end view looking, to the left of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

In the construction shown in the drawings the steering wheelcomprises a spider having a .pluralityof arms 1 with their outer ends 2 mortised in the inner periphery 3. of

rimd. Lockingmemis-which bear against the outer periphery- 5 of the rim t-are providedfor holding-the ends of thejspider arms securely in their mortises-vand comprises a wedge 6 of Woodruff key shape which istapered both in its long and short dimensions. The wedge 6 is adapted to be inserted through a slot cut in the outer periphery 5 of the rim, said slot being of suflicient depth to pass through and bifurcate the outer end 2 of arms 1 as shownin Figs. 2 and 3. The wedge 6 is preferably.

a crosspiece 7 which is embedded in the rim.

The wedge 6 is positively locked in its slot, by a pair of dowelpins 7 and 8,Qwl11ch are insertedin holes drilled in the under side of the rim 1 and pass-throughthe outer ends 20f the arms, through the wedge 6 and into the upper sideof the rim; These dowel pins are so spaced and positioned that they cross each other as shown in Fig. 4c.

i In the construction of this steering wheel the outer ends of the armsare first glued in their mortises and allowed to dry, the ends of: thearmsbeing forcedto the bottom of their mortises and forming as nearly as possible agood square abutting shoulder. After the glue has become thoroughly dried the semicircular slotsor mortises are sawed into the outer periphery'ofthe rim at points directly opposite the center points of arms,

this slot extending into andbifurcating the keep lateral strain on thedowel outerend'of the arms longitudinally.- The surface of this slot and of the tapered wedge 6 is thencovered with glue andthe wedge driveninto the slot. This glue is allowed to thoroughly dry and thereafter the holes are drilled for the dowel pins 6 and 7 The pins are covered with glue, driven-in their respective: holes and after time has been allowed forthe glue todry thewheel is in condition to have its exterior surface smoothed off and finished. r i i The wedge 6 is tapered in the manner shown for the purpose of notonly making a tighter fit-but also for holding the glue in the slot when the wedge is driven therein.

It will be noted that the dowelpins 7 and 8 pass through seven differentlayers of wood, three of which are in thclaminated wedge 6, two of which are the bifurcated ends of the spider arm andthe remaining two are the upper and lower sidesof the rim. The purpose of this is so that expansion or contraction of the different layers of wood, some in one direction and somein another, tends to ins at all times and therefore provide a tig it and secure construction for a long period of time and that doesnot become loosened'through changes due to atmospheric conditions.

Although but one specific method of looking construction has 'been herein shown and described, it will be understood that the details ofthis construction may bealteredcor omitted without departin from the spirit of this invention as define by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a. steering wheel construction, a rim, a spider arm mortised in the inner periphery of said rim, and a wedge engaging said arm and bearing against the outer periphery of said rim for holding said arm in its mortise."

l 2. In a steering wheel construction, a rim, a'spider arm mortised in the inner periphery of said rim, said rim having a mortise cut in the outer periphery thereof extending into and hifurcating the endof said arm, and a wedge adapted to fit in said mortise for holding said arm to said rim.

3. In a steering wheel construction, a rim,

a spider arm mortised in the inner periphw eryof said rim, said rim'having a mortise cut in the outer periphery thereof extending into and bifurcating the end of said arm .a wedge adapted to fit in said mortise for holding said arm to said rim and means for locking said rim, wedge and arm together.

i l. In a steering wheel construction, arim, a spider arm mortised in the ihner'periphery of said rim, said rim having a mortise cut in the outer periphery thereof extending into and bifurcating the end of said arm, a wedge adapted tofit in said mortise for holding said arm to said rim and a dowel pin for locking saidrim, wedgeand arm to gether. i

5-. In a steering wheel construction, a rim,

a spider. arm mortised in the inner periphery of said rim, said rim having a mortise cut in the outer periphery thereof extending into and bifurcating the end of said arm, a Wedge adapted to fit. in said mortise for holding said arm to said rim and a pair of dowel pins arranged in crossed relation, passing through said rim, arm and wedge for the purpose set forth. f a 1 6. In a steering wheel construction, a rim, aspider arm mortised in the inner periphery .of said rim and a wedge of laminated construction bearing against the outer periphery of said rim and engaging said arm for holding saidarmin itsmort-ise.

:7. In a steering wheel construction, a rim,

an armmortised in one side ofsaid rim, a

wedge mortised in and bearing against the other side of said rim, andia dowel pin. disposed-transversely to theplane of. said ber,1926. v H c 1 JULIAN B. LA PIERRE. 

